At ABC Action News, we know it's the combination of all the communities that make Tampa Bay great to live in. That's why we've started a new series of reporting highlighting good things happening around town, discovering cool gems you may not know about, and uncovering the big news events impacting those areas.
On Friday, the Good Morning Tampa Bay team focused on Zephyrhills.
Complete Coverage: GMTB Local Spotlight
Zephyrhills hopes to preserve 'small town America' with rapid growth
Driving in Zephyrhills, you can look to your left and see endless greenery, and then to your right new housing communities going up one after another, and the homes are selling before they’re even built.
Free summer program in Zephyrhills offers safe, fun place for kids
A free program for kids in Zephyrhills is back this summer.
The summer rec program provides a safe, fun place for kids to go when school is out. The kids craft, play sports, swim and go to the movies.
Downtown Zephyrhills offers a little bit of everything
Take a walk in the quaint downtown Zephyrhills and you're sure to notice some beautiful artwork.
Hidden in alleyways and on the side of businesses you'll find murals that you can interact with.
Main Street is supported by volunteers, who also help put together tons of events that go on every year like Festival of Lights, Halloween Howl and Music and Motorcycles.
The downtown area really offers a little bit of everything.
Zephyrhills airport gets $6.6 million for improvements
There's an airport in Zephyrhills that caters to private and smaller planes, and it just got a big boost from the state.
This year they received $6.6 million for improvements.
They plan to build a new fix-based operator building, a new taxiway and two new hangars.
Zephyrhills leaders want to create 'hangout' space as city rapidly grows
Zephyrhills is growing, and rapidly, so city leaders are hoping they can keep their sense of community by adding a hang-out spot similar to Tampa's Sparkman Wharf or Armature Works.
It'll be called "The Backyard," and will be situated right next to city hall. It'll feature community space and container businesses.
Locals reminisce on Zephyrhills' Black history and look toward the future
Zephyrhills is home to a thriving African American Community.
A lot of the Black families that live there are descendants of those who came here in the early 1960s.
ABC Action News Anchor Deiah Riley toured the tight-knit community known as The Quarters and learned a lesson about its rich history.
Your Turn, possibly largest board game cafe in US, located in Zephyrhills
Dungeons and Dragons. Clue. Chess. Monopoly. You name it, chances are you can find it in downtown Zephyrhills.
Your Turn is a collection of more than 2,000 board games all housed in a downtown cafe.
A.O.K. Family Fun Center in Zephyrhills aims to be a safe place for families
A new fun, safe place for families is now open in Downtown Zephyrhills, A.O.K. Family Fun Center.
They've been open for about nine months and are continuing to grow.
Inside, you'll find axe throwing, arcade games and TVs to watch sporting events.
'Best flan in the world' made in Zephyrhills
It's been called the best flan in the world, and it's made in Zephyrhills.
"I was able to see the true reaction from people and I was like, okay, we have something here," explained Joe Lopez.
Lopez and his wife Nicole own Niaddi Flan and have turned it into a beautiful success story.
Zephyrhills hot sauce company featured in many local restaurants
It started as a love for all things hot and a passion for giving something new a shot.
Matthew Zambrana and Jason Reed took a chance and started their own hot sauce business, Rhino Smash.
After coming up with their own version for themselves, they eventually launched at the Pasco EDC. After finding success there, they opened a new space in Zephyrhills.
East Pasco Family YMCA provides swim lessons for all ages
The local YMCA in Zephyrhills just finished a recent remodel of its heated pool.
We caught up with them during a recent summer camp and it's definitely a popular spot this year.
Not only can you swim at the East Pasco Family YMCA for fun but they also offer swim lessons for everyone.
Community continues to support Zephyrhill's Commandough's pizza
If you're looking for good pizza and to make a few friends, Commandough's is a locally owned pizza joint in the heart of Zephyrhills.
The restaurant opened in 2016 and is known most for its New York Style pizza.
Zephyrhills Museum of Military History shines light on area's military past
From WWII to present day, Zephyrhills has a lot of military history housed in its very own museum.
In the early 1940s, hundreds of army fighter pilots came to the Zephyrhills Army Airfield to train before going to Europe.
The barracks that were in Zephyrhills were all destroyed and today, all that remains is the infirmary building, which is now the Military History Museum.
